United States sells $181bn Warplanes to Nigeria to help fight Boko Haram

The Super Tucano is said to be "an agile, propeller-driven plane with reconnaissance and surveillance as well as attack capabilities, is made by Brazil's Embraer".

During the visit, the United States delegation has already met a number of Nigerian officials and military.

Following the approval, Pentagon has notified its US Congress, in accordance with the law.

The US Department of Defence approved sale of the planes and weapons worth $593 million earlier in August.

The aircraft are reportedly equipped with "wing-mounted machine guns, weapons integration with advanced surveillance. precision-guided bombs, and even air-to-air missiles".

It is also widely used as a training aircraft.

The U.S. decision, which came after years of reluctance by the Barack Obama administration, was eventually spurred by a resolve that the security interests of the country needed to be served by providing assistance to Nigeria in its running battles against terrorism.

It is the first serious commitment to be secured by Nigeria from the U.S government to sell arms to combat protracted activities of Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast.

Senator Christopher Coons, Head of the US Congress Delegation, said during an assessment visit to the Theatre Command of Operation LAFIYA DOLE in Maiduguri on Tuesday, that the US is dedicated to helping Nigeria defeat the Boko Haram insurgency.

'This will represent a new chapter that we are opening, where the USA government will be ready to sell arms to Nigeria and that will help to strengthen the efforts of our armed forces in the fight against terrorism, surveillance and intelligence.

The DSCA has determined that US security interests are served by assisting Nigeria in its counter-insurgency operations and that the A-29 sale will not significantly alter the military balance of power in the region.